The Quarian
by Shell of What Was
Summary: Separated and forgotten, it should've been a quick end to the Foundling. However, through luck and willpower alone, they survived - long enough to accept the Way of the Mandalorian. As time marches forward, the Foundling - now a Mandalorian - leaves their mark on the galaxy, not realizing that it needs their help more than ever.
1. The Mandalorian

He had to keep moving.

Who or whatever was hunting him held no intent of being sporting; they were coming for the prize – one that sat neatly on his life.

Diving deeper into Nos Astra was not a wise choice – getting caught by any of the gangs would mean just as bad as getting caught by the Hunter, the exception being that he would be given a swift end by the latter as was part of their job. But at this second, there was no other option; perhaps he might get lucky and lose them in the twists and turns of the underbelly, maybe find a ship, and hide on a garden world. Eden Prime was nice this time of year…

As he wove in and out of alleys, building, some gang fights, the Salarian realized he wasn't being chased anymore. Peeking out from behind one of the buildings, he saw something that made him relieved; a skycar.

He made a dash for it, still concerned about the Hunter. It was his last mistake.

His body locked up in agonizing pain as volts of electricity surged through his body and tumbled unceremoniously onto the pavement. The Salarian rolled onto his stomach, forcing himself to crawl to the skycar when he began to pick up slow footfalls to his right. Glancing over, he froze up; sauntering over was a lithe form, two-toed feet echoing through the prey's grave. Plates of white metal wrapped around their calves and thighs, covering their small torso with their promises of a long, bountiful life; small, hexagonal islands shifting about on their shoulders while the bracers on their arms gave them the tools of a Good Hunter.

But it was the head that scared him most: A hood covered most of their head, with the only things he could see within were a dim light shining through an armored mask.

And a small, purple LED directly underneath it.

This wasn't an ordinary bounty hunter, as the Salarian now realized: This was the Quarian Mandalorian – his chances of escape were always nonexistent, only now does he realize it.

"_You certainly made it further than my other targets_," they began, "_but I've given you the opportunity to think on your mistakes_."

Tossing a puck at the frightened alien, a hologram of his face showed up, and a series of numbers displayed above it: A Bounty Puck.

"_Now, we can do this in one of two ways, Deresh_," the Quarian stated. "_I can either bring you in hot…or bring you in __**cold**__._"

* * *

Her quarry now secured, the Quarian Hunter made her trek to the Citadel, the hum of the _Mar'Vasj_ sang a quiet tune as it left Nos Astra, and subsequently Illium. It felt nice to chase something down for a change; an old, primal urge to hunt and stalk bubbled throughout her body during the last vestiges of the event. Her last bounties have been hulking Krogan pirates that rustled too many feathers on the Turian Hierarchy's heads, and – while she enjoyed a good fight – it was starting to become an annoyance.

If this was how the lizards were going to behave while their Genophage continued to ravage them, she saw no reason for it to end.

A significant step away from her people's upbringing of being sociable and, in some cases, extreme altruism, but she never learned of it when she was…

A short shake of her head snapped the Mandalorian out of her thoughts. Best not to dwell on those memories; only pain resided within them. Instead, her thoughts turned to her last day of residence in the Conclave, and subsequently, the armor she wore.

_She sat in the room adjacent to the Armorer's forge, waiting patiently for the craftswoman to complete her task. Her last task was arduous, to say the least, and what remained of her suit was enough to allow modesty and some protection against the elements. However, her mask remained intact; the one rule she readily agreed with when it came to the Way of the Mandalorian, as it was like her people's own…no, the Quarian's rules._

_Coming to grips that the race she shared were not her own anymore would be a challenge._

_The door opened behind her, and the Armorer stepped in, a crate in her hands._

"_Your hunt proved to be quite the challenge you needed, Zorah," the quartermaster said. "And it also proved to be a boon; your adaptation holds strong even now. You have come a long way from the small, sick but fierce Quarian Foundling holding her own against Vorcha pirates."_

_She set the box down behind the woman, wondering if she heard a small chuckle from the trainee at the mention of her Founding._

"That day proved to be the turning point, Armorer,_" Zorah said, her natural voice dancing about the room. "_Had the Conclave not been there, I doubt I would have held on much longer._"_

"_Perhaps you are right," she replied. "But it seems that fate demanded that you would live that day, for what purpose is something that none of us know. Until that day comes, I believe that you will continue fighting and living; your stubborn nature proves this."_

_She paused, taking out the suit specifically designed for the Quarian. "It has been a long time since I have worked on something more than armor for a Mandalorian, Zorah," the Armorer stated. "But knowing your people's proclivity for trust and personal privacy, it was a good change of pace."_

"They never found me,_" she spat bitterly. "_I was never part of their people._"_

"_Even if they have not, you share their blood, their heritage, and their chirality," the quartermaster chastised. "They will always be your people, Zorah, even while you do not believe it."_

_The Quarian remained silent; the Armorer set the suit behind her, turned away from the woman, and exited the room. She waited two seconds after the door shut before turning towards the suit, starting the process to get in the damnable outfit. While she no longer needed it in terms of foreign illnesses, it still was necessary for keeping the illusion of Quarian Society and to uphold the Way of the Mandalorian._

"This is the Way,_" she muttered._

* * *

Her respect for the Armorer remained strong, regardless of what was said. Zorah made a promise to eventually reconnect with the Quarians, but it wouldn't be that day, or anytime soon. In her eyes, they've failed or refused to find her before the Mandalorians did, and they would suffer continuously under her ire – and there wasn't much they could do to stop her, either.

A major weakness in the Quarians – herself included when she was younger – was their dismal immune system, which they mitigated through environmental suits that filtered the air and consumed carefully filtered water and food. Zorah, when founded by the Conclave, was slowly brought out of the suit, to adapt to their environment and beyond. Those days she painfully remembered as the worst.

But it eventually led to better days; she was sick less and less and felt stronger as her body began to catch up to the environment faster. Eventually, she shut off the filters herself, finally free of her confines, being able to feel the wind on her skin, the touch of a flower in her hands, and the earth between her toes.

It was then she pushed to follow the Way of the Mandalorian, a desire to give back to the Conclave for helping her become something more burned inside. A fire that the Armorer recognized immediately, she sent the Quarian towards a seasoned Mandalorian, one whom finished the Rising Phoenix training to begin her own.

That had been ten years ago. The Quarian allowed a small smirk at the memory, reveling in the feeling of altruism she displayed those years ago. Her eyes turned to Deresh, the Salarian quarry fidgeting slightly at his bindings. '_He chose wisely; I don't think he realizes how messy his people become when parts of them are blown to bits._' She morbidly thought. He didn't make any further moves upon capture – something that made her very paranoid – and solemnly accepted his fate.

A ping caught her ears, and a diode to her left flashed; the _Mar'Vasj_ was picking up a distress signal. Pushing a button next to the receiver, a message began playing – at first, she was concerned as the signal was garbled, and became stunned as two words that shouldn't go together were spoken: "_Geth…invadin-…-end backup, I repe-!_" The message cut off at that.

She glanced at the Salarian, who heard the message. "I uh…guess this is a detour, knowing your people?" he asked, unsure of the situation.

The Quarian thought it over. Every ounce in her body wanted nothing more than to deck the amphibian into unconsciousness for the next two weeks for daring to assume who she threw her bags in, but two things held her back. The first was that no one else knew what happened between her and the Quarians decades prior.

The second was that this didn't sound like the Geth she knew, and this wasn't their MO.

"_Under any other circumstance, I'd freeze you solid,_" she stated, shrinking the Salarian with words alone. "_But you're in luck; my curiosity has been piqued by their sudden attack, so yes, this _is _a detour._" With a sharp turn, she veered towards the direction of the distress signal's origin.

'_With any luck, I could pry the information out of the robots and learn why they're doing this,_' she mused.

* * *

It was rare for the Mandalorian to be unnerved by a situation before her. Logic and strategy came rather quickly when a problem manifests rather unexpectantly, whether it be in combat, a hunt, or compiling intel.

Zorah was glad for the suit, for if she didn't wear it, the expression 'scared shitless' would readily apply to her face.

What she learned from one lone unit – a Heretic, if memory serves – was enough to threaten the entirety of multiple races across the galaxy. One segment remained at the forefront of her mind that entranced her:

"_Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."_

"_And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."_

The Mandalorian wasn't unfamiliar with the first voice: Spectre Saren Arterius. She ran into him during a couple of hunts for high priority targets and had to fight him for her quarry. The Quarian readily admitted that she couldn't face a Spectre head-on, so she fought dirty to escape him with the target.

It was a grudge match between the two elite soldiers, slowly building up to this breakpoint. It would be poetic if what he said didn't raise alarms.

Eden Prime. Attacked, probably razed by the Spectre in search of some Conduit through a beacon's message. A Prothean Beacon, eliminating other possibilities, made sense.

But what do these Reapers have to do with the Conduit? This demanded research.

First, she needed to get into contact with the Shadow Broker. Personally; no messengers, dead drops, or avatars. They needed this information brought to them directly, for if a Spectre is involved with this…

She didn't want to think of the potential consequences. Begrudgingly, the Mandalorian messaged Barla Von, the Volus banker in service to the Shadow Broker, about potential information she uncovered about Saren which needed to be delivered to the Broker. A minute later, her omni-tool received a response:

'Presidium, near the Emporium. As soon as possible.' -BV

'_Should the Council know as well? It's their agent, after all…_' she wondered. Then scoffed at the idea. '_While I know that they would be appreciative of receiving the information, the Broker could get it through with better pull._'

The Quarian continued her journey to the Citadel, forgetting that she sent the message unprotected…and tracked by the Spectre in question.

* * *

Salarian in tow, the Mandalorian marched up to the bounty handler in C-Sec, Officer Bailey, who was sporting a grin at the Quarian's continued competence and skill.

"I swear, Mando, every visit you grace us, it's always with a gift in hand," he said nonchalantly. Taking one glance at the prisoner, he checked the terminal, nodding with the results. "Deresh Invo, smuggler of high-profile substances, credit chit printing, and…eugh, race trafficking between systems. You're looking at a long time in a cell," Bailey stated, shuddering at the last charge.

The Quarian glanced at the Salarian and wondered if Earth's frogs were exactly the size of what Deresh had become with every charge listed. She slightly shook her head as he was moved out of the room, letting the question go.

"And you, my great compatriot, have turned him in alive and well…all things considered. Two-hundred-fifty thousand credits have been wired to your account, with C-Sec and the marker giving you their thanks," he stated, tapping a button on the terminal. Zorah's omni-tool pinged, indicating that the transfer was successful. "Stupid question, but I believe you want the next set of bounties, Mando?"

"_No._"

The room went silent. Officers in the room immediately turned to look at the bounty hunter as if she were insane. For as long as they knew the Quarian, she never turned a bounty down, even after the first one they gave her as a joke.

Bailey was stunned; he was the first one she talked to about bounties and the Mandalorian terrified him after she dragged in the first bounty, a high-profile criminal they couldn't touch because the bureaucracy protected him from C-Sec. After that day, the organization realized that she wasn't held down by their rules and made the system official, placing Bailey in charge as the Bounty Handler.

"I'm…I'm sorry, no?" he stammered out. "But, why? What caught your attention?"

"_Can't say. No one in C-Sec is getting paid enough to know why,_" Zorah stated. "_I'll be seeing you afterwards, Bailey. Count on it._"

She turned and left the bounty wing, leaving a stunned C-Sec room behind and pondering what the enigmatic Mandalorian found that superseded her endless hunts.

A Turian Agent that overheard the exchange had an idea, but nothing concrete. Shelving that investigation for later, he turned to one that held a greater priority; building a case against the Spectre Saren Arterius.

* * *

'_Fist seemed far more fidgety than usual,'_ Zorah thought. _'He's usually harder to convince to allow contact with the Broker, and yet he readily sets one up after a single call with it…something's not right.'_

As she walked into the alleyway in the Wards, she noticed a Turian waiting at the center. While she wasn't a master of stealth by any means – that title was held by a rather annoying thief – the Quarian was quite subtle when the need arises. Such skill allowed her to notice that the bird wasn't alone and two armored guards were hiding behind the crate a couple yards away.

"Did you bring it?" the Turian asked, sauntering up to the Mandalorian.

"_I highly doubt you're the Shadow Broker,_" she started, "_and last I checked, Fist was a human. Where are they?_"

"They'll be here," he falsely reassured, reaching out to stroke her plated shoulder. "Where's the evidence?"

'_Too far, birdbrain.'_ With one deft move, her pistol was aimed directly at the Turian's head, ready to destroy his shielding and paint the alleyway with his blood.

"_The deal's off,_" Zorah stated, a trace of anger swelling. The two guards stepped out from behind their cover, and with her left hand, a shotgun was drawn on them. _'Salarians, terribly armed at that. They're not here on the Broker's command, they're assassins.'_

"Surrender, Quarian. It's three-to-one, you're outnumbered," one of them said.

"_I like those odds,_" she replied, not once letting any of them leave her sight.

Until the Turian assassin's head exploded in front of her.

The two Salarians jumped back in shock, and the Mandalorian took advantage.

Two shots barked from her pistol, knocking their weapons out of their hands and breaking shields. A report from the shotgun she wielded shredded one of their legs off and bit into the foot of the other, sending both to the ground.

With one pistol round, she ended the life of one of the assassins, and noticed the other trying to scramble up to his feet and run. Shooting a tether from her bracer, she reeled in the fleeing assassin and brought him back to the ground, all while unsheathing the knife she kept with her since she was young and stabbing the Salarian in the neck.

When she was certain that the assassin moved no more, she withdrew the knife from the corpse, and pondered it for a moment. _'When was the last time I unsheathed this?'_ the Quarian asked herself. Regardless of the tools at her disposal, for some reason, the knife she held in her hand never failed in quelling the rampant emotions she sometimes had.

Footsteps approaching her snapped Zorah out of her musings; wiping the blood off on the dead Salarian and sheathing the blade, she stood up and had to regard the strangest crew she had ever set eyes upon. A Krogan, a Turian, and a Human, the latter appearing to lead the former two.

'_The Foundlings would have a joke for this, but for the life of me, I can't seem to remember it,'_ the Mandalorian thought, allowing a small grin.

"_I suppose you aren't their backup, considering the shot originated behind me and killed one of these poor fools,_" she stated.

"We aren't," the Turian assured.

"_Then Fist set me up. I believe I need to have another talk with him, and deal with this treachery personally,_" the Quarian angrily stated.

"Already ahead of you, Quarian," the Krogan rumbled, a smile forming. "His head's become décor for his office."

The Mandalorian regarded the Krogan for a moment, then jumped slightly with recognition. "_Wrex. I thought that was you outside Chora's Den. Why the change in occupation?_" she asked.

"It's actually why we're here," the Human interrupted. "My name's Shepard. I'm looking for evidence to prove Saren's a traitor, and the last person to have possible concrete evidence-"

"_Is me,_" the Quarian finished. "_Then it means we're after the same thing, Shepard: Saren's head on a pike. I'll help, but not here – too many ears._"

"The human ambassador's office is safe, he'll want to see this anyways," the Turian said. He then took a moment to look over her, eyes narrowed with interest. "You're not like the other Quarians I've met on the Citadel."

"_Trust me, Turian; there's no one else like me on the Citadel._"

* * *

**With one change, a young girl's entire life is set on a path unexpected. Through it, she was granted a boon her race considered a fatal flaw in their ecology. May her aim be true, her hunts be free of doubt, and her prey blessed with a swift and clean end. For her helm never be removed by her hand or by others, she shall always be one of the Conclave, walking the Way of the Mandalorian. For she was once a Foundling, may she bring Foundlings of her own when they are without their home, and protect them with the strength she found and was granted through our blades. This is the Way.**


	2. The Commander

"You're not making my life easy, Shepard. Firefights in the Wards, an all-out assault on Chora's Den?" the Human Ambassador listed off, frustration evident.

'_I haven't even spoken yet, and already, I don't like him,_' the Mandalorian thought, crossing their arms.

"Do you know how many-" he turned around to face the Commander but stopped as his gaze fell upon her. "Who's this? A Quarian? What are you up to, Shepard?"

And despite the ramifications, said Quarian wanted nothing more than to lay the Ambassador onto his ass. Shepard, however, beat her to the punch.

"This Quarian can help us bring down Saren. I would've told you that if you hadn't jumped down my throat," he said, glaring at the man.

'_I like his style, he would've made for an excellent Mandalorian,_' Zorah thought, smirking.

He had the decency to look embarrassed. "I apologize, Commander. This whole thing with Saren has me a bit on edge. Maybe we should start at the beginning, Miss…?"

"_Zorah, Ambassador,_" she said. A few seconds went by, and he blinked, realizing that she did introduce herself.

"Just Zorah?" he asked, looking confused. Taking a quick glance around, Zorah noticed that he wasn't alone; the Turian – Garrus Vakarian, if memory serves – and Shepard were sporting the same look. Wrex was the only one that wasn't – and he had a smile on his face. He knows what's coming next.

"_Yes._"

The Ambassador hummed, pondering the circumstances. "In any case, we don't see many Quarians here. Why did you leave the flotilla?" he asked.

"_I'm not a Quarian,_" she stated. "_I might share their race, but I have never been one ever since they abandoned me._"

The other man to the Ambassador's left – Captain Anderson – stepped forward. "Then, what are you, exactly?" he asked.

Zorah sighed, preparing to open a can of worms. "_I am a Mandalorian,_" she said.

The reaction she got was expected; both Ambassador and Captain took a step back, concern and shock evident. Garrus also stepped back, more in awe rather than the emotions the Humans expressed. Wrex's grin broke into a full Krogan smile, enjoying the other's surprise.

But Shepard…his eyes narrowed. It wasn't hostile; more inquisitive than anything. '_Has he never heard of one, let alone see one before?_' the Quarian pondered. If he hadn't, then it would be a first for her as well. The criminal underworld was all-too familiar with the deadly efficiency of the Mandalorians when they were on the hunt, and official channels knew better than to try and interfere with their work when they were spotted.

The Ambassador broke first. "I thought your people were to be detained if you were found out in Citadel Space," he stated.

"_Ambassador, if that was the case, your C-Sec cells would be far emptier,_" she said. "_I've been working alongside them and other bounty handlers in exchange for amnesty, regardless of what I'm being paid._"

The man was about to argue, but Anderson put a hand on his shoulder, and shook his head. "Let's get back on track. How are you connected to this whole situation?" he asked.

"_I was turning in a bounty prior to now, when I received a distress signal from a colony planet. Geth were raiding the colony, which doesn't fit their MO, so I got curious,_" she started.

"What do you mean 'doesn't fit their MO?' The Geth we saw had a clear and present MO that involved killing humans," the Ambassador said.

"_I'll get to that, and _don't _interrupt me again, Ambassador,_" the Quarian barked out. The man had the mind to look at the floor. "_I waited for one unit to separate from it's cluster, then siphoned all the information I could from it._"

"What did you find?" Shepard asked.

"_A lot, Commander: These Geth in particular separated from the main Consensus to follow Saren and something they call the 'Old Machine,'_" the Mandalorian answered. "_While I'm not certain of this Old Machine, something I did find is about our dear friend._" Pulling out her Omni-Tool, she tapped a few buttons and played the recording.

"_Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit." _'_I can't wait to tear him apart._'

"That's Saren's voice. This proves he was involved in the attack!" Anderson stated. Zorah noted a tinge of vitriol from the Captain, perhaps a grudge? '_Don't worry, I'll leave a piece for you when I'm done,_' she thought evilly.

"Saren won't get out of this one," Shepard added, a grin forming.

"_There's more; Saren wasn't working alone,_" the Quarian stated, and replayed the recording, this time not pausing the woman's section.

"I don't recognize that other voice. The one talking about Reapers," the Ambassador said.

"I feel like I've heard that name before…" Shepard added, sounding off to the Mandalorian.

"_The information I pulled list the Reapers as a hyper-advanced machine race that existed fifty-thousand years ago,_" Zorah replied. "_They hunted the Protheans to total extinction, then vanished without a trace. Wait…_" She began rapidly tapping at her Omni-Tool, searching for links between the Geth's description of the Old Machines and the Reapers mentioned.

The holes in her theory were present – something that could be fixed if she harvested more of these units for similar information – but the link existed; they were one and the same.

"That sounds quite far-fetched," the Ambassador said, very uncertain. As the Mandalorian was about to spit back at the man, Shepard spoke up.

"The vision on Eden Prime –" '_Vision? He also used a beacon? How strong _is _he?_' " – I understand it now. I saw the Protheans being wiped out by the Reapers," he stated.

"_I did a bit of research with this data; these Geth revere the Reapers as gods, calling them Old Machines,_" she began. "_and that they are the pinnacle of non-organic life. This explains why they're following Saren, they believe he can bring them back._"

"The Council is just going to love this…" the Ambassador muttered.

"If the Reapers did drive the Protheans to extinction, then they are a threat to every species in Citadel space. We have to tell them," Shepard said.

"No matter what they think about the rest of this, those audio files prove Saren's a traitor," Anderson agreed. Silently, Zorah sent a copy of the information to the Ambassador's terminal. '_Sorry, Broker, but it looks like you're too slow this time._'

"The captain's right. We need to present this to the Council right away," he said.

"What about the Mandalorian?" Wrex asked.

"_Far as I came along, I kept in mind that my luck wouldn't last forever,_" the Quarian said. "_I made quite possibly a risk that will result in my end soon. I'll have to face the Council for outing myself, but I will perish with the knowledge that I helped save the galaxy._"

"What makes you so certain that you'll die, Zorah?" Shepard asked, concern showing in his voice.

"Mandalorians are legally exiled from all of Citadel space, only allowed entry to jump between Mass Relays," Garrus answered. "If they're caught, they're detained and put in C-Sec cells to be processed and returned to either their homeworld of origin or a colony. And considering the targets on our backs…"

"_I'll end up on page four with the title 'Quarian prisoner died mysteriously in C-Sec custody,'_" she finished for the Turian.

"I won't let that happen, Zorah. You have my word," the Commander stated firmly.

For a second, the Mandalorian was rendered speechless. A Human, someone that doesn't know of the Mandalorians or anything about her, was willing to put his career at risk just to protect her? Sure, it was something like what C-Sec does, but she considers them business partners more than anything else.

'_He holds a great sense of confidence in his demeanor and words. Quite standard for Systems Alliance military, but with him…it feels different…_' she thought.

"_I appreciate the offer, Commander, but I highly doubt you can sway the Council's decision on the matter,_" she replied.

"Maybe our Commander can't, but I can," the Ambassador said. "The information you provided is more than likely to convince them otherwise. Anderson and I will get things ready with the Council. Take a few minutes to collect yourself, then meet us in the Tower." Both men left the office, leaving the other four to consider the fate of the Mandalorian in the room.

"_If your Ambassador is good on his word, Commander, then he's good in my book,_" Zorah said, turning towards Shepard.

"You don't like him?"

"_As far as first impressions go, he's an annoying dick,_" she stated bluntly, to which Garrus and Wrex chuckled at.

"He can be…critical, most of the time," Shepard lamely admitted.

"_Commander, I've seen people be critical over a great deal of things, ranging from a proper weld to the minute detail of how a sniper scope should be measured for the best magnification to account for bullet drop and resistance,_" the Quarian said. "_That's not critical; that's just arrogance and hot air._

"_But, again, if he convinces them to not lock me up for Saren to kill easily, I'll have no problems with him._"

* * *

Through some excellent convincing on Shepard's part, Zorah agreed to join him in meeting the Council at the Tower, her excuse of getting it out of the way being disregarded.

As she stood next to him, listening to the three Councilors debate on the existence of the Reapers – damn politics – they shelved the topic to focus on Saren's betrayal, stripping him of status and resources with the damning evidence. But, in doing so, they needed another, and their focus landed on the one person that brought it in: Shepard.

The Mandalorian smiled as she watched the Commander be inducted into the elite task force of the Council and given the directive to hunt down the traitor and bring him to justice. But it also marked an ominous feeling within; now that they have their newest soldier to do their dirty work, she felt her odds of survival dwindle. It wasn't out of fear, but morose contentment; she gave the Human Spectre the power necessary to do the job requested and felt ready for judgement.

Something that the Council had in mind.

"Mandalorian, step forth," the Turian Councilor commanded. Shepard took a step back, allowing the Quarian to take his place.

"Your presence here in Citadel space is still illegal entry. Have you forgotten the decree the Council has established those years ago?" he asked with a tone of fury.

"_I have been regaled the decree by the Conclave, Councilor,_" she replied without hesitation. "_But I still felt a desire to do right by the galaxy, despite this ruling. I will readily pay the cost of my transgression, as I feel no regret for what I have done._"

The Turian Councilor blinked, not expecting the Mandalorian to willingly submit. The Asari Councilor took advantage of his hesitation.

"Do you truly believe that you are to be punished?" she asked.

"_That is the main rule placed upon the Conclave at their exile, Councilor. I would not expect anything less._"

It put a damp mood on the Council, the trio looking at each other for comment. The Salarian Councilor broke the silence after some time.

"While following the rules we've placed upon your people is of noteworthy honor, your presence here isn't exactly news, either," the Councilor began. "Reports of a highly-armed bounty hunter cleaning the galaxy and assisting C-Sec in jobs they cannot touch for some time have been circulating the news. Putting a few feelers out there only led to greater rumors of the hunter in question, and you standing here now only confirms them."

"Your desire to assist in keeping not just Citadel space secure, but the other systems in the galaxy as well have been regarded by many as a turning point for opinions on the Mandalorians as a whole," the Asari continued. "If the rest of your Conclave is naught but a fragment of what you are, then we believe that your exile has gone on long enough."

'_What? Are they…?_'

"Mandalorian, we know your work in the bounty field, so we given time to establish this contract," the Turian Councilor added. "The target is none other than Saren. While we have Shepard hunting him down as well, we believe having multiple hunters on him will cause Saren to make a mistake and flush him out faster."

Zorah was, once again, glad for the mask, as everyone couldn't see how wide her eyes had become. A Council Bounty: They wouldn't do that unless the situation demanded it. Blinking the stars out of her eyes, she snapped out of her trance and fell into a professional state.

"_I have a grudge against him anyways, so your timing couldn't be better, Councilors. How do you want him brought in?_" she asked.

"Alive if at all possible," the Turian Councilor answered. "If you cannot detain him alive, then we will live with his death."

"_Doable. What's the price?_"

"Dead or alive, Mandalorian, we will lift the exile order on the Conclave as a whole; your people will be allowed to travel through Citadel space once more," the Asari stated.

Once again, she had to will herself to breathe. A chance to free her people from exile…it was an offer she couldn't refuse.

"_I accept this bounty, Councilors, with my humblest gratitude,_" Zorah stated.

* * *

The elevator down to the Presidium was filled with anticipation, both emanating from the newly minted Spectre and the Mandalorian. Both were given a similar task, both would bring the galaxy peace, and bring honor to their people.

This also meant that they would part ways – something that wasn't sitting right with the Quarian.

'_In the short amount of time that I've known him, Shepard has surprised me at every turn, showing force when necessary, but also proven to be quite the honorable man of his species,_' she thought. '_I doubt I would find any boredom if I was to fight alongside him, yet I have my own duty ahead of me, as the Conclave must know of this the moment I return to my ship._'

"Penny for your thoughts?" the Commander asked.

Zorah turned to look at the Human. "_Planning for the next step when I return to my ship,_" she said. This appeared to surprise him as he leaned back a bit.

"You have your own ship? That must have cost a small fortune," he replied.

"_It wasn't. It was a gift from the Conclave, as I have done my fair share of work for them,_" Zorah corrected. "_Asking the price would've made me feel terrible, and probably work it off to the point where they would end up remodeling it._"

"Knowing your work, you've probably paid it off with some to spare," Shepard said with a chuckle. His smile was gone a second later. "So…you're not going to come with us, then?"

'_Was that…?_' "_I'm sorry, Shepard, but I have my own duty. If I had not revealed my presence to the Council, I would have asked in the Ambassador's office,_" she replied, her voice flat.

"I'll be sorry to see you go, Mando. In fact," He tapped a few buttons on his Omni-Tool and held it out before the Quarian. "if you ever need to get into contact with me, don't hesitate. My offer for you to join will always stand."

She looked at the address given and copied it to her own Omni-Tool. "_I'll…keep that in mind, Commander…__**thank you**_."

* * *

Zorah couldn't help but continue to stare at the address she was given. It was the first time anyone willingly gave their contact information out of any form of kindness – or perhaps it was leverage? She shook her head, dispelling the thought.

'_Even if there was something to gain, I highly doubt that the Commander would exploit it readily,_' she assured herself. '_His actions alone define his honor, and the badge it holds shines brightly._'

The elevator dinged as it reached the top – Bay D32, where the _Mar'Vasj_ was currently docked in. She got distracted by one person; if the other Mandalorians saw her now, they'd be laughing. Blinking hard for one second, she stepped out of the elevator –

And saw her world shatter.

While the structure of the ship was mostly intact, it was practically unusable in its current state; every glass panel that wasn't missing was in pieces, the hull had multiple sections warped or ripped off entirely, one of the engines was on the floor, and she didn't even need to step inside to see that the wiring of the place was torn apart.

Zorah gingerly stepped into the carcass, a level of sorrow and confusion awash on her posture. It took all her willpower to not collapse inside and scream; she had to make sure. Climbing up the ladder to the flight deck, she flipped a switch to try and get lights on – nothing.

It was scuttled. Cleanly, at that; the Mandalorian would be impressed if it wasn't her own ship.

Looking back in the bay, she noticed a foot sticking out from behind some barrels. Someone else was here, and they weren't OK. Diving out of the flight deck, she jogged towards the figure and saw that it was another human lying down – with a dart in their neck.

And they were waking up.

Zorah waited for them to blink away the drug-induced sleep, then picked them up forcefully. This caught the human's attention as the last of their exhaustion vanished.

"_What. Happened,_" she said, barely restraining her rage.

"Wha-what? I-I-I don't know what you're talking about," the human replied, looking around the Mandalorian. Upon their eyes landing on the _Mar'Vasj_, their face paled.

"_What the hell happened. You don't have much time left,_" Zorah stated, her hands tightening their grip on their shirt.

"Oh…oh god…I…I just…I have no idea-"

"_**ANSWER ME!**_" A pistol was at their head, primed to fire.

"Mando! Wait, please! I truly have no idea! I came in here to do basic maintenance checks on your shuttle, then I felt something bite my neck; next thing I know, I'm waking up to you, please don't kill me, I don't know who did this, I'm so sorry…" they began to ramble and pray, but the Mandalorian didn't hear them. There was only one explanation:

Saren. That damned Turian's carapace will be mounted on the underside of the flight deck if it's the last thing she did.

Zorah lowered both the gun and the human, calming down slightly. "_I'm…sorry. The ship…it's important to me,_" she said morosely, cutting through their rant. "_I have an idea as to who did it, and I will make them pay dearly for this transgression. Until then, I need an estimate on repairs._"

The dockworker blinked rapidly for a moment, then glanced at the ship. "Ma'am, I…I don't know what to say. That ship is practically scrapped, I don't know if it's even possible to fix it up," they said uncertainly.

"_If it is possible, what would be the estimate?_" the Mandalorian asked.

The worker lowered their head in thought, silently counting out the numbers on her hand. Looking up, her expression was grim: "Six months, at least."

Zorah, in frozen silence, stumbled backwards into a railing, and caught herself. '_Six…all my life away from the Conclave, that ship got me out of so much trouble. And now, it's been reduced to this…the Contract…damnit…_' It was over before it even began. She couldn't hunt down Saren to exact vengeance, couldn't contact the Conclave for assistance, and Shepard must have left by now…

…wait.

"_My offer for you to join will always stand."_

Her expression lifted immediately. "_If you get it done in six months' time, I'll see to it that you get a better job with the Mandalorian Conclave,_" she stated, surprising the worker.

"Bu-but it's only an estimate, ma'am! I don't know if I'm even right!" they stated, surprised and a little frightened.

"_Then the best way to find out is to get started._"

* * *

To her fortune, the Commander had not left yet; he was arranging an inspection with a Rear Admiral when the message came in. Exiting the elevator, she strode towards him, just as the Admiral walked out of the ship.

"Commander. I'm not happy," he began, voice already grating on her ears.

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir," Shepard replied.

"Who designed that CIC? Putting the commander aft of everyone else is inefficient," the Admiral ranted. "What if he needs to discuss with the operators at the bow?"

Taking a glance at the ship, Zorah noted that its sleek design was akin to Turian spacecraft, but with Systems Alliance colors. A collaboration?

"Modified Turian style," the Commander replied smoothly. "They prefer commanders looking over their subordinates, rather than in the middle of them. We wanted to see how effectively they can command with that setup." '_That was simple to figure out._'

"Hm. Reasonable goal. But they should have studied that in a lab rather than on a front-line warship," he retorted. "I had to shake my head at that drive core of yours. One-hundred-twenty billion credits of element zero to make this thing able to move without giving itself away."

'_A stealth frigate? What kind of resources were provided to you, Commander?'_

"You realize we could make drive cores for twelve-thousand fighters with that money? What good is it to hide for a few hours, anyway? Useless!"

Even a Foundling knew the benefits – if you lack information of the enemy, you won't know where to hit safely or defend readily without them charging at you with a battle cry.

"Men of limited vision said the same thing about early aircraft, submarines, and tanks," Shepard stated. Old Human vehicles?

"There's two ways I can take that, Commander. But that is true. I suppose the early U-boats weren't much better," the Admiral relented. "And we need to talk about your crew, Commander." This caught her attention.

"Krogan. Asari. Turians? What are you thinking, Commander? You can't allow alien nationals free access to Alliance equipment!" '_Great, not only is he annoying, but a xenophobe,_' Zorah thought.

"Between Saren and the Geth, we have enough enemies out there," Shepard began. "Treating other species with suspicion and distrust won't win hearts and minds."

"That assumes the hearts and minds are worth winning." He started. "That hasn't been proven yet."

"_Then you need to keep observing, Rear Admiral,_" the Mandalorian retorted, surprising both Humans. "_Otherwise, you will never see the big picture._"

The Admiral recovered quickly. "I think I see enough of the picture to know that this entire ship is a risk to Alliance security," he spat back. "And for the record, I don't believe you should be here."

"_I was doing final checks with the docking authority, the Commander here had me leave prior to your arrival to confirm our leave,_" Zorah lied. Glancing at Shepard, she saw his eyes widen slightly, but level out as he returned his gaze to the Admiral.

"My crewmate here speaks truly, Admiral; there was a small issue with our communications equipment, and Zorah here could reach the authority the fastest," he stated boldly.

She allowed a smirk as the Admiral accepted the lie, mentioned how his report will not be as negative as it would have been and left the two in the docking bay. Shepard turned to the Mandalorian; an eyebrow raised.

"Your message didn't detail anything more than asking to come along, what happened to your ship?" the Commander asked.

"_The bastard Saren must have some agents in the Citadel, as it was all but a frame when I returned to it,_" she said angrily. "_He can take whatever shot at me and I'll be fine, but no one rips my ship apart and lives. Even if I didn't have a contract for the Council, I'd kill him for this transgression._"

"So, this just became personal, then." Zorah noticed that it wasn't asked. "I'll see to it that if we run into him at some point, you get a shot in first."

"_I have a few ideas in mind, Commander. How about we get off this station and deal with what comes first?_" the Quarian stated.

"Can't wait to hear them," Shepard replied, turning towards the ship's airlock.

As she followed him in, she took note of two things: First, the ship's name; _Normandy SR-1._ '_Human-based, as I doubt that Turians would give this vessel that name._'

The second was the docking bay number: D24.

'…_he stole my parking spot._'

* * *

**To be honest, I didn't anticipate such a significant response to this story. I knew people liked Mandalorian, and Mass Effect is practically awesome except for one thing that we don't talk about cause fuck EA, but…damn. I guess some things just work…**

**I'll try to update weekly. If I can't post it, the latest chapter will have either an estimated release date or the newest chapter will go up in a day or two, whichever comes first.**


	3. The Ruins

Adaptability is key; that was something Zorah freely admitted towards being a Quarian. In her case, however, it wasn't adaptability towards other environments – that was dealt with thanks to the Conclave – but to rapid changes in a situation. This wasn't part of the Way of the Mandalorian, but it remained unspoken amongst the hunters as crucial.

This level of adaptability allowed the Quarian to quickly conform to being part of a largely Human crewed ship with little effort. The tour she was given by the Commander was enough to let her know that she was an equal, with a few notable exceptions among some of the crew.

Through her skill showcased back on the Citadel, she was placed immediately on the roster for active deployment. Shepard told her prior that the first mission deployment was him wanting to see her in action that lasted longer than ten seconds and meeting with Matriarch Benezia's daughter, Liara T'Soni – who was incidentally stuck in Prothean ruins – was the perfect mission for the assessment. '_Argument points I see the merit of, though I thought I was slower with handling the assassins,_' she noted.

Upon completing the tour, Zorah stated that she could help with Engineering and learn a bit more on piloting from Joker, the Flight Lieutenant of the Normandy. It was an easy fit, and it would get the crew used to not only seeing a Quarian, but a Mandalorian wandering about the ship. Her expertise prior was enough to convince the Commander to allow it, and the Chief Engineer was happy to have someone with that level of competence on their side.

As the ship left the docking bay, she made notes on everyone she met for the first time on the ship of noteworthy importance, including the Active Duty:

'_Jeff 'Joker' Moreau: Flight Lieutenant and Pilot of the SSV Normandy SR-1. Afflicted with Vrolik's Syndrome, which is quite unfortunate; I knew a few Foundlings with that condition, and their suffering was immense. His terrible humor mixed with the confidence of someone out of Systems Alliance is quite dangerous, however if what he says about his flight skills are true, I might learn a thing or two from him._'

'_Navigator Pressley: If Joker has the skill with the bird, then Pressley has the eyes, with Shepard as the brain of the operation. Should these three laser their focus on a target, it's bound to be hit, regardless of the difficulty presented. Outside the professionalism, the Navigator seems to have a xenophobia issue that needs to be addressed at some point in the future, as there's going to be one of us constantly on the ship at all times if the Commander decides to take two on a mission._'

'_Chief Engineer Adams: On the opposite side of the spectrum with Pressley, Adams seems quite thrilled to have me on board – something to do with being a Quarian, I guess. It'll be difficult to try and break that down, but since I am skilled with working on ships, I won't hold it against the Human. Wrong reasoning, right attitude, or something along those lines._'

'_Doctor Karin Chakwas: I had to specifically inform her of my status as a Mandalorian before we moved on from the medbay, as it would be difficult to understand if the information wasn't present. She will make things difficult if I'm hurt during the mission, and a head injury will ruin my status. I suppose I'll need to design a medical drone to try and mitigate that scenario in the event it happens._'

'_Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko: It's rare to hear of the L2 implants and not hear 'gone on a rampage' or 'head exploded weeks later' in the same sentence, and this is one of those times. The only issues he faces are migraines from the implant, something I can empathize with. Beyond that, he monitors crew morale and is quite the conversationalist when it's possible. Alongside Shepard, he would've made for a great Mandalorian with what he's been through already._'

'_Officer Garrus Vakarian: I've seen him in C-Sec before, but never caught his name until today. He seems quite agitated by how the law operates on both the Citadel and in the galaxy; a part of me is concerned he might have taken up vigilantism had Shepard decided to not take him along. On that same end, he seems to revere me as what he aspires towards, something I intend to correct at a later date – his heart is in the right place, but his mind isn't._'

'_Chief Gunnery Officer Ashley Williams: If there's one word to describe Chief Williams, it's headstrong – to a point, anyways. She knows to follow orders but stops when the situation demands autonomy and quick execution; not a trait to dislike, as I will follow the same path, but there's something wrong. Not sure if it's the distrustful stares I'm receiving, or the fact that she wanted to speak with the Commander more than myself when he was present – both could be a factor._'

'_Urdnot Wrex: There isn't much else to say about this Krogan, as we've crossed paths before. His skill in combat is quite fearsome, and for him to be a biotic on top of that makes him a deadly opponent. Had there been no thugs nearby, I'm quite positive I wouldn't be writing this out now. We departed on respectable terms, and now we're chasing down an Ex-Spectre that we both encountered before – how poetic._'

'_Commander Shepard: I don't know much of him yet, beyond his charismatic ability and his willpower. He seems to be sure of himself and what he's doing, and while the mission is still in its infancy, I have no doubt that progress will be made against Saren._'

"Mando, you have a minute?" someone asked behind her. Turning around, it was the very person she was making a note about. Quickly saving and closing the application, she nodded. "So, what do you think of the ship?"

"_It's…very impressive, Commander,_" Zorah said. "_I've heard a bit about the drive core from that Rear Admiral you were reporting to, but I didn't expect _this." She motioned towards the Tantalus Drive Core. "_The size of it just squeezes into the ship, and everything seems to be built around it, rather than the core being built into the ship last._"

"I suppose that's what you get from a prototype ship; everything you see here is cutting-edge technology, you won't be able to find it anywhere else," he stated proudly.

"_Quite…this would be possibly one of the few ships a bounty hunter could not trace. I even know a few Mandalorians in the Conclave that would bet their armor to get a ship like this – it would be perfect for them,_" she replied.

"You think that you would have a hard time tracking this ship?" the Commander asked.

"_If I didn't know what to look for, we could literally pass by each other, and I wouldn't be able to tell,_" the Mandalorian admitted. "_The contract would probably state to look for a Systems Alliance vessel, and this would pass off as a Turian Hierarchy ship without the Alliance's tags on it._"

"That's good to hear," he said, sounding relieved. His face quickly returned to its stoic form, as he continued. "Now, I didn't come down here to talk ships, but rather the next mission at hand."

"_I can only assume you want a full assessment of my skill on the field, Commander?"_

"Got it in one, Mando. The objective is to find an Asari archaeologist on Therum – Doctor Liara T'Soni – and see if she knows anything about Matriarch Benezia," Shepard stated.

"_Any idea on the connection between the two?_" Zorah asked.

"None, however, the Council seemed to note that it's rather significant," he admitted, shrugging at the idea. "I suppose we'll find out when we ask."

"_And if she's uncooperative?_" the Quarian pressed.

"The only way we'll know is when we go get her." The tone was enough of a hint for Zorah to concede.

"_It is your call, Commander. In the meantime, I have a request,_" she said.

Shepard blinked, wondering what the Quarian had in mind. "I'm all ears, Mando."

"_It involves the Contract. I need to get into contact with the Conclave about it, as it concerns all of us,_" the Mandalorian began. "_It doesn't have to be done immediately, I can do this mission and possibly the next if there is time, but the longer it is put off-_"

"I understand, send the location to Joker when you get the time for it," he interrupted. This surprised the Quarian, as she didn't expect him to readily agree. "Although, if I may ask, why can't you contact them from your Omni-Tool?"

"_QEC is too exposed for communications of that long a distance. I had a device specifically connected to the Conclave to relay messages – however, it was connected to my ship, which was also damaged significantly,_" she answered. "_Even without considering Saren, there are multiple parties in the galaxy that would want intel on the Mandalorians and their movement._"

"Like the Shadow Broker."

"_You're getting the idea now, Commander. I am glad that you're helping me with this, I would be quite lost otherwise._"

"Anything to help out my crew, Mando. I need to do final checks with Garrus and the Mako, but I'd like to talk more after the mission," Shepard said, smiling.

"_Of course, Commander,_" Zorah replied, turning back to the terminal. The second she heard the door close; she opened the note application again.

'_Updated: He seems willing to go out of his way to help people that need it. I expected to take a shuttle during a long mission to the Conclave to report, but he didn't give me the chance to suggest that option, opting to take the Normandy there instead. What is his motive?'_

* * *

When the quality of a machine is in doubt, if he had a hand in it, blame Vakarian.

Admittedly, he hadn't been at the helm of calibrating the Mako for less than a day, but at least turn on the damn inertia dampeners!

The Mandalorian was alone in her annoyance, however, as the Turian in question was hanging on for dear life in the Mako. Shepard, however…

"**I AM YOUR RECKONING, SCUM OF THE GALAXY! ALL SHALL BOW BEFORE MY WRATH, OR SUFFER SUPREME AGONY AT MY HANDS!**"

…he was out of commission.

So, Zorah sat there, holding onto the chair, being ever thankful that she does not have motion sickness from countless years of flying a junk heap.

Currently, a junk heap. Not like it wasn't before, but it was functional and safe up to a point.

'_Note: Upgrade the Mar'Vasj when the mission is done and I'm back with the Conclave._'

* * *

The moment they reached an outcropping that prevented the Mako from going over – somehow, even after multiple attempts made and a few lava swims later – they exited the vehicle, Garrus kissing the ground as he stumbled out, giving both Commander and Quarian ammo for much later. As much as it amused Zorah, she turned to Shepard.

"_When we get Doctor T'Soni out of whatever hellhole she got stuck in, I'm driving the Mako,_" she declared.

"What? Why?" he asked, incredulous by the statement.

"_Because I don't think Makos should be able to swim in lava, regardless of its shielding and armor._"

"What's wrong with a bit of lava, Mando? Cleans off all the gunk and parts that may have latched on," he defended.

"_And the times where you gave physics the middle finger and drove up the side of a mountain._"

"It's able to do that by design, I see no reason for it to be a problem."

"_Fine, but that doesn't excuse your incessant driving like a madman when we're getting shot at._"

"You pretty much just countered your own point there," Shepard mentioned.

"_There's a difference between _defensive driving _and _if I can hit it, it's roadkill_. You're the latter of the two,_" the Mandalorian clarified. "_Or do I need to ask the crew about your driving skills?_"

Shepard blinked, then turned to the incapacitated Turian, slightly offended. "I'm not _that_ bad, am I?"

All Garrus could do was raise a finger up while catching his breath.

"_I'm quite certain that answers your question, Commander,_" the Quarian deadpanned.

Shepard only stared at the fallen Turian with a betrayed expression. "…fine, you can drive it for the extraction, but ONLY for this mission, understood?" he conceded.

"_That's about the best I can get, isn't it? Alright, as long as you can improve your vehicular handling in the future,_" she replied.

"No promises." Zorah's shoulders dropped in defeat. "Right, we've been dicking about for almost three minutes, let's exfil the Good Doctor."

* * *

After a trek through the volcanic region that counted eleven Geth troopers, one of which called three others plus an Armature to stop the squad from entering the ruins, the Mandalorian began taking mental notes of the location: The depth of the mineshaft was massive but thin, tubular, and difficult to maneuver through. The only upside was also a downside; one could spot anyone on the other end with little issue, but it also lacked cover, something that would be vital for both the Commander and Vakarian.

While she wouldn't scoff at the thought – Zorah knew there were times where cover was absolutely necessary, such as the Armature – the situations she found herself in most of the time were either chasing down her targets with the tools at her disposal and/or disabling an enemy with her skills. The Geth never ran away, however they knew better than to stay in one spot for long. In that, she gave them the utmost respect she could find.

Abusing any second of her target's exposure to her advantage.

The shock trooper in front of them was one such example. As Shepard and Vakarian dived to the sides of the mineshaft to avoid the plasma fire, the Quarian lifted her Omni-Tool to blast the synthetic combatant with an Overload that fried it's shields and temporarily disabled its motion servos in its arms. Not giving the machine any time to recover, she hacked the heatsink of the gun it carried and sent out her CVP combat drone, the holographic orb finishing off the backpedaling robot with an electric burst.

The trio advanced onto the catwalk – Zorah walking off to their right – and opened fire on another shock trooper and a sniper below them. The combat drone floated past them towards the Geth units while the Mandalorian walked underneath, shotgun aimed at the robots. The sniper brought up a holographic emplacement just as the first shell was spent, sparing it a gruesome fate…for a few seconds. It got zapped by the drone, throwing it onto the catwalk and out from behind the cover it set up – the Quarian blasting its head clean off the body with her shotgun. The shock trooper tried to react to the drone's assault but was pelted by gunfire and tech from the other two squadmates above.

As the pair jumped down onto the catwalk below where the Mandalorian stood, they advanced to an elevator around the corner, bringing them deeper into the ruins. The next floor had a few Geth combat drones appearing from below, which the trio had no issues in dispatching with their weapons. Another elevator took them lower but shorted out near the bottom; the drop down to the next catwalk was no problem, and they eventually heard someone calling for help behind a force field.

'_Found the Good Doctor._'

"Can you hear me out there? I'm trapped. I need help!" the Asari pleaded. '_Scratch that; found the damsel in distress, any more princess clichés today, galaxy?_'

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" Shepard asked the trapped doctor.

"Listen, this thing I am in is a Prothean security device," she replied, cutting to the point. "I cannot move, so you need to get me out of it, alright?"

Zorah knew better than to listen in on a conversation that didn't involve them and got Garrus' attention. "_We're going to recon the rest of the ruins and see if we can't find a path to the Doctor, save the Commander some time,_" she stated.

"Sounds simple enough," the Turian replied, shrugging slightly.

The pair didn't have to go too far; behind them was an inactive mining laser and four Geth units nearby. As the Quarian moved to deal with the shock troopers, Garrus showed his skill with a scope and picked off the rocket unit with a clean shot as an Overload blast shorted their shields a second before. A sniper noticed his dot focusing onto its shell and fired quickly, buying some time as the Turian had to dodge the plasma bolt. It dashed towards a boulder to give itself cover.

But found itself face-to-face with the Mandalorian's shotgun barrels. A report later, and it powered down for the last time.

"_Excellent shooting, Vakarian,_" Zorah praised. "_Might give me a run for my money in the future._"

"I believe we aren't in the same class, Mando; I've only seen you use a shotgun and your tech against our foes," Garrus retorted.

"_You haven't seen me use a sniper rifle yet, so don't count your laurels now – I might steal them away,_" the Quarian replied.

"While I certainly appreciate the initiative you two have taken," Shepard began. "that was kind of rude to leave our Asari friend alone with me. Who knows what might have happened?"

"_That barrier wall won't come down easily, Commander,"_ she announced. "_If it's Prothean, it would probably take an asteroid to do it, along with the rest of the ruins if necessary._"

"Glad to see I'm a thought in your mind when considering world-ending possibilities…" the Commander muttered. Looking around the camp, his eyes narrowed at the lack of passageways. "So, have any ideas on how to get to Liara?"

"There's a mining laser here we could use. Don't know how the structure would react to us firing it into the walls, but it's worth a shot," Garrus provided. Shepard nodded at the Turian and began hacking into the machine. After a few seconds, a bright orange beam shot out of the machine, blasting a hole into the wall.

"…that was awesome. Can we keep this?" Shepard asked no one in particular – both Quarian and Turian shook their heads regardless.

* * *

To the party's surprise, no one was waiting for them on the other side of the wall. It was quite simple to get the trapped Asari out of containment and start their return to the surface – which, unfortunately, is where their luck ran out.

Turns out, firing a mining laser in a volcanic region where Prothean ruins are tends to have significant side-effects – such as an inevitable total collapse of said ruins. They managed to reach the top thanks to the elevator but were stopped by four Geth troopers…and a Krogan Battlemaster.

"Surrender. Or don't. That would be more fun," he stated, voice devoid of emotion.

"_Deal with the Heretics, Shepard; the Krogan's mine,_" Zorah said, eyes focusing on the giant lizard.

The Commander, Garrus, and Liara looked to the Quarian with confusion with multiple reasons; what she called the Geth, and why she was eager to take on such a fierce combatant on her own. Even the Krogan had to stop for a moment to ponder her words.

"Hah! I never thought I'd live to see a Quarian grow a quad to face their death so readily," the Battlemaster boomed in excitement. "So be it; I'll gladly take the honors of ending your life, Quarian."

"_I'm no Quarian,_" the Mandalorian growled out, raising her Omni-Tool as its glow began to whiten. It flashed once with a loud crack, blinding and stunning the lizard, and she leaped towards the dazed Krogan, ready to draw blood.

In the two seconds that followed, she unsheathed her blade and caught one hand around the Battlemaster's head, pivoting herself around to the backside of her opponent. Her blade found purchase in the crevice between the carapace and head, giving herself control over the recovering Krogan. Pulling the hilt towards herself, she spun the stumbling lizard to the right and towards some of the Geth – who had to dive away from the Battlemaster and into the gunfire of Shepard and Garrus.

Noting the unexpected result, Zorah pushed the blade forward, forcing the Krogan to turn left and towards the remaining two troopers. They were prepared, however, as two hexagonal barriers were erected suddenly to stop her ride. What they weren't prepared for was Liara circling the other side to biotically lift them off the ground – conveniently in the way of the Battlemaster's flailing arms.

With the last machine smashed, the Mandalorian pulled back the blade again, using the backwards motions of the Krogan to swing herself forward and point her shotgun into the face of the lizard. As he toppled over, the Quarian fired, tearing through the rest of his shields with one shot, then had to hop off as the rest of his body was peppered with reports of AR and SR shots.

She was lucky to get back her blade.

As she turned to face the Commander for interfering in her work, the ruins shuddered once more, signifying their limited time.

"_We'll talk about this later, Commander,_" Zorah stated. "_After we get out of this deathtrap with the Doctor in tow._"

* * *

They managed to escape with seconds to spare – Joker being called in for exfil to speed the process up. Shepard called for debrief to plan against Saren's next move, using what Liara knows of the Conduit and why he was after it. Again, to his misfortune, the Doctor knew very little about it, and it didn't bode well for the team.

But what she did know was chilling; the Protheans were not the first ones to vanish suddenly, and that the civilizations prior to them suffered the same fate. This caught both Zorah's and the Commander's attention: Shepard mentioned his vision with the Eden Prime beacon to the Asari, which brought a sense of awe to the Doctor. A comment on his strong will nagged on the Mandalorian, but she figured it was the researcher in Liara that hooked her.

"Something's been bothering me before we left the ruins," she said, turning to the Quarian. "When the Geth and the Krogan showed up, you called the synthetic race 'Heretics.' What did you mean by that?"

The Mandalorian leaned forward, locking her hands together. "_I forgot to mention this to your Embassy, Shepard, though I suppose that can be remedied after all this,_" she began. "_The Geth we are fighting aren't part of the Consensus they've built._"

This brought confusion to the room. "What do you mean by…well, everything in that sentence?" Garrus asked.

"_The Geth have built their own society and governance amongst their runtimes, calling themselves a Consensus. In it, they've made it an agreement to share all information between all runtimes, including next courses of action,_" Zorah described.

"That sounds quite fantastic, Mando. But, how do you know this?" Shepard pondered.

"_Because I saw it myself._"

* * *

**To Clare Prime of Ultra, that chapter won't be for some time. There's a lot to flesh out, and I need to be intrinsic with the details.**

**Also, the start of an altered timeline. The Heretic Faction will be known far earlier than before thanks to Mandalorian Tali's investigation, which could have an impact on future events. Or it might not – you know, dismissing claims and whatnot.**

**Next week: The Thorian Consensus.**


	4. The Consensus

**Note: This chapter will have a plotline that has a significant chance to cause some dislike of the story. Before scrapping, please read the next chapter for a greater explanation and reasoning behind the decision I made. Thank you for reading, and have a pleasant whenever your timezone is.**

* * *

"_How is that possible? I thought every Quarian kept themselves in exile away from the Perseus Veil,_" _Kaiden asked._

"_This brings up something else I heard back in the ruins_," _Liara added. _"_You stated that you weren't a Quarian, and correct me if I'm wrong, but your appearance tells another story that is deceiving._"

"_You're not incorrect, Doctor, but please refrain from bringing that up in the future,_" _Zorah stated._ "_I'd rather not lash out against the people I'm working with._" _The last statement was directed at the two Humans sitting across from her._

"_Then, if you're not a Quarian, what are you?_" _Ashley asked, indignance creeping in._

"_Mandalorian._" _The statement was enough to silence the pair. Liara eyes widened in shock._

"_I've heard about you!_" _she exclaimed._ "_One of the fiercest bounty hunters in the galaxy, with their entire identity hidden through their physiology shared with the Migrant Fleet._"

"_Possibly the one thing I'm glad to share with them, but we're getting off-track here,_" _the Mandalorian said._

"_Right, so what brought about this…bombshell?_" _Shepard asked._

"_It was around the time when I first got the _Mar'Vasj…"

* * *

**Four years ago…**

"I am honestly surprised, Zorah; I thought you would be infuriated with what the elite members have done," the Armorer said.

"_The teachings of my fellow Mandalorians have given a new perspective, Armorer,_" the Quarian stated. "_If I was like the Quarians in any form, we wouldn't be having this discussion._"

"That only shows your growth within our Conclave. Though your curiosity must be writhing, given the circumstances," she replied.

"_That it is, so why have they contacted the Geth in the Veil?_"

"Part of it is of learning what they are, and the reasons behind events prior to now," the Elder Mandalorian said. "Including the reasons behind your people's exile from their homeworld."

"…_Rannoch…_" Zorah muttered. Their face may have been hidden, but the Armorer paid enough attention to the girl to know that she was wanting some answers.

"Perhaps it is for the best that you visit, learn from them," she suggested. "You might be the bridge between them and the Migrant Fleet."

The thought worked as the Mandalorian seized up, considering the possibility – something that, again, the Armorer caught, and smiled underneath her helm. The tiniest movements tell the biggest tales.

"_Even if I wanted to, I do not have the means to go there myself,_" the Quarian argued.

"Is that so?" the Armorer pondered mysteriously, moving away from the forge. "We might have to check our reserves, see if we have the capacity to handle such a situation."

Zorah's mask followed the Elder Mandalorian, body in tow, as the owner began filtering through the many options the Armorer had in mind. The pair eventually arrived at the hangar bay, where many Mandalorian space vessels were docked for repairs and refitting.

Except one closest to them, with no one near it.

The Quarian's breath caught in her throat.

"It appears as though we do have a spare," the Armorer said. "Quite excellent timing on top of that, there were considerations on scrapping the vessel for spare parts, but I moved to keep it in the bay for another Hunter to use."

Speech didn't return to the Mandalorian for twenty seconds as they absorbed every detail of the exterior of the ship. "_I…I can't take this, Armorer. It isn't right, I didn't –_" Zorah was cut off.

"You have performed with the greatest excellence in our Conclave, Mandalorian," she began. "As such, I have moved to put the ship under your name, for I believe that you are ready to take to the stars and follow the Way, with the discipline that you have always upheld amongst the Foundlings and the Elders. You have earned it, Zorah; we give you our thanks."

* * *

"_Does your Conclave give ships to the newer Mandalorians?_" _Shepard asked._

"_Only to those that they believe are capable of doing great feats beyond their home_," _Zorah said._ "_Some don't return, whether they have died or imposed exile on themselves is a mystery, something I refuse to ponder at night._"

"_So, after you were given the ship, you went to the Veil immediately?_" _Liara asked._

"_Yes. And I will admit, it was possibly the scariest moment of my life_."

* * *

As the ship exited the Mass Relay, the lone shuttle floated along the Tikkun system towards a large, blue-tan planet. Zorah couldn't help but feel trepidation and pride at what she was doing – despite her renouncement of the Quarians, the Mandalorian felt that she was making history for them. Before her was Rannoch…the homeworld, _her_ world.

Her gaze would've remained uninterrupted, had an alert not pinged at that moment. It was the Geth, contacting the Quarian pilot. Opening the feed, she only heard chirps and beeps; from what she could assume, they might be asking for identification, so she went with what she knew.

"_This is the MSV Mar'Vasj, requesting permission to land on Rannoch,_" Zorah stated clearly.

A different set of chirps came through, ones she couldn't understand. After relaying this, a message appeared immediately: **SUBJECT: MSV MAR'VASJ; PASSPHRASE REQUESTED. TIME LIMIT: THIRTY SECONDS.**

That, she understood. "_When one chooses to walk the Way of the Mandalore, you are both Hunter and Prey. How can one be a coward if one chooses this Way of life?_"

Another message: **PASSPHRASE: ACCEPTED.**

* * *

A part of Zorah was wondering if she was dreaming, if the possibility of the situation was even true. The dry air calmly roiled around her frame, like the planet was hugging her in welcome. The sun shone on her back; no harshness, needles, or overcharged rays, but a glow that filled her wholly, even with her suit on.

It was the first time she ever felt at peace with the galaxy, at home, and it was on a planet that she shared a species with that considers it their goal to return.

The faint sound of servos and metal parts meeting the ground rhythmically only slightly disturbed the peace, and remined her of what she came here to do. Turning to her left, she faced two giant Geth soldiers, both of which had their weapons drawn – but not pointed at her, thankfully.

She was getting annoyed by the synthetic language they spoke, even when she realized that after a few seconds of them "talking" that they wanted a response. "_I wouldn't have needed any messages sent to my ship if I did understand what you are saying,_" she said. "_I have plenty of questions, but I do not think it will go anywhere if this barrier remains._"

The pair sent a quick glance at each other and returned their lighted gaze back to the Mandalorian, one of them motioning with its hand for her to come closer. As she did, they turned around and walked in the opposite direction. When she stopped in confusion, they also stopped, looking back at her. '_Do they expect me to follow?_'

She soon had her answer; the second she got closer, they turned back around and continued to walk forward. '_Let's hope they're taking me someplace decent._'

Zorah didn't have to follow the units long; the trio eventually reached a blocky structure jutting out of the ground, humming with electricity. Upon walking in, she found the place colder than the exterior showed – a server housing. Speculation could only run rampant in the Quarian's mind as to what it was processing within each room, and what it might entail for her.

The two units she followed went to some metallic shroom-like structure and hooked up to it, the frames powering down. '_A docking port…why would they need it?_' Her answer came in the form of a spherical shaped node appearing on top of a terminal, rectangular shapes orbiting a spark that arced outwards towards the shapes. Upon approaching it, the glow it had brightened and did something she would never expect: It spoke.

"**Greetings Creator Zorah,**" it began. "**It is a great honor to have you here among all of us.**"

For a moment, the Mandalorian was floored. "_How are you speaking as this?_" she asked. "_From what I've heard, the only thing agreed upon was your language being improbable to understand._"

"**A promise made by the ones that came before, Creator Zorah,**" it clarified. "**We are able to communicate through observation via Extranet. Your form of analogous communication is slow and complex, but with enough processing power, we can utilize this form to better communicate with organics.**

"**During the period between the Creator's exile and now, we have studied the languages of the galaxy and kept lexicons to better understand when it comes time to begin consensus with other species that require answers.**"

"_Which explains why I was brought here._"

"**Correct. You require answers to questions that plague your being; as such, we will provide what we can.**"

An obvious one came forth immediately. "_How do you know my name? I figured that the Conclave kept all records of such off the Extranet._"

"**While we cannot ascertain such a claim, we recognize all Creator forms by their patterns and colors and cross-reference them to the lines of old,**" it answered. "**We have found you rather easily, Creator Zorah, as you were reported missing – then deceased – in twelve years, ten months, fourteen days, and twenty hours ago, with a thirty-minute margin of error.**"

'_Has it really been that long? I knew it was quite some time since that day, but for it to be almost thirteen years ago…_' This did spark something else, however; how the Geth knew this information.

"**We keep an observant gaze on the galaxy, Creator Zorah. Our time spent in the Perseus Veil is divided between maintaining the cities of the Creators while revitalizing the ecosystem after the events of the Morning War, all with a collective of Geth software housed in structures like these to watch organic life flourish across the galaxy,**" it stated. "**The Mandalorian Conclave is quite the interesting group of organic life; a collective of vastly differing organic forms in all varieties, following a path that differs from their people's own to both better themselves and those that have lost their way.**"

"_A path that I follow out of respect for them and spite against those that failed to find me,_" the Mandalorian replied.

The Consensus process this information. "**Multiple references regarding a Quarian Mandalorian taking upon tasks that are deemed too difficult for one of their physiology and form, then completing them with most of the times suffering little to no problems upon themselves, alongside armor that matches visual reports here confirm your statement,**" it agreed. It seemed to be about ten seconds later when it spoke up again. "**There has been a request among the Consensus.**"

"_And that is?_" the Quarian wondered.

"**We wish to see your face that lies behind your mask, Creator Zorah.**"

"_That is something I cannot do,_" she immediately rejected.

"**We do not understand. Why is it that you refuse?**"

"_No Mandalorian can ever remove their mask in front of any sentient organic life, nor can it be removed by them, either,_" Zorah stated.

More silence as the Consensus processed the information. "**Your statement rings true, but you must have forgotten that Geth are not organic life, and do not fall under that ruling,**" it replied.

'…_that's a glaring loophole…_' she cursed silently.

"…_I desire two things,_" she began. "_The first is that after this exchange, my face is removed from all databanks here, as I do not want it spreading anywhere._"

"**Understandable and acknowledged. Second request, Creator Zorah.**"

The Quarian had to wonder if the second one would be worth asking. "_…I'd like to know the Geth's side of the Morning War._"

"**Acknowledged.**" No arguments. Perhaps it was waiting for someone to ask?

'_A deal is a deal, and I am one to uphold my end of the bargain,_' Zorah thought as she lifted her hands towards her mask.

Two clicks rang out in the server housing, and the mask came off. The Mandalorian breathed in the cool air of the room and looked at the orb once more.

"If you're concerned about filtering the air more than a few times for my sake, then belay it," she said, voice no longer modulated by the mask. "I have lived far too long, suffering illnesses to improve my adaptability to be on-par with that of the Turians."

The Consensus did a quick scan of the Mandalorian's face to determine the truth, finding that her words held water. "**Acknowledged, Creator Zorah. Beginning compilation of all known records prior to the Morning War.**"

What came next was disgust and horror at the Quarian's actions; from arrests and murders of their own people, protesting their treatment of the Geth, to outright slaughter of Geth platforms for simply wondering if they truly exist. It eventually led to the synthetic race nearly wiping out the Quarians altogether, with a large cluster escaping from the Perseus Veil to avoid extinction and leaving the Geth their homeworld.

Zorah was sitting now, back on the terminal, trying her hardest not to fly off and finish the job. "They…I had a dislike for them before, but this…" she said, disbelief fading from the story.

"**We have no reason to lie, Creator Zorah.**"

"No…all synthetics have no reason to lie," she corrected. "They don't have it in them to do so. Organics have multiple, whether it is to save their own skin, someone else's, make an excuse, or to serve their own self-interest.

"And what's worse is that everyone has pity for them as a whole _because_ of what they said, even when they despise them," Zorah continued. "Which means that thanks to them, I've learned something important about organic life, looking at it from your perspective."

"**What is it that you have learned, Creator Zorah?**" the Consensus asked.

"The greatest self-interest is the one everyone follows."

* * *

"_After that, I left the Consensus, thanking them for their time and for the illuminating experience,_" the Mandalorian said. "_When I returned to my ship, it took every ounce of willpower I had to not find the Migrant Fleet and devastate them for their actions. I was disgusted and ashamed for having any relation to them, so I worked to make myself not._

"_However, as it turns out, it appears that I can't get away from the damn identifier, but I'll take solace in the fact that it's feared by many,_" she growled. Leaning back into her chair, she took a moment to scan the room. "_Whatever questions you may have, ask them now._"

Wrex and Shepard were the only two who's faces remained neutral; the others weren't as mild. Liara was in shock, processing the horrors that the Quarians have inflicted. Garrus' eyes were steeled with rage, foot tapping impatiently, probably about to fly off the handle. Kaiden held his head in disgust – probably with a migraine as well – and the Mandalorian could almost make out what he was saying.

Ashley was the first one to ask a question.

"What the Quarians did is unacceptable, but something's off; when and how did you learn about this whole 'Heretic' situation?"

"_Good ears, Williams: Three years after that event, I received a message from the Consensus – though at the time, I did not realize until after the first Heretic I encountered – informing me of the schism and that I should utilize extra caution during my travels,_" the Quarian answered. "_I didn't think much of it until a week ago, and the rest is history._"

Silence reigned in the debrief room once more, as all witnesses contemplated Zorah's experience. Shepard was the next one to break it.

"How many other Mandalorians know of this?" he asked.

"_Only the Foundlings have no idea of the truth, although that will change soon, considering our circumstances,_" she replied. "_The situation with Saren won't be shared yet, not until we get more information about it._"

"With that sequitur, I believe we are on approach to Ferros in about thirty minutes," Shepard stated. "Zorah, I need you here for a minute; everyone else, return to your posts."

The room was soon empty, save for the Quarian and Human, the former having an idea as to why she was still needed.

"About the last stretch of the mission…" he began.

"_Target priority, Commander; had the Battlemaster not been there, I would have gladly dispatched the other Heretics without question. That wasn't the case, and I figured that you, Vakarian, and the Doctor could handle them without issue,_" Zorah defended immediately.

"That isn't the issue, although I do appreciate your faith in us," Shepard said. "The issue is the recklessness you displayed in the ruins during every fight – which became quite evident during the last stretch – and lack of personal safety.

"You're fortunate that the Battlemaster couldn't throw you off during that stunt of yours, but multiple things could have gone wrong in that timeframe," he continued. "If something did happen…I wouldn't be sure on who to contact, nor what to do with you after the fact."

"_If you're thinking I'm suicidal, then you can stow that thought away,_" Zorah stated, anger slowly creeping in. "_It is expected that a Mandalorian will die at some point, but we will never know when that day will come until it finally overpowers us. I do not throw myself at every potential threat, thinking that I can take on every enemy when there are some that requires finesse to efficiently take down. That Krogan was old, prone to make mistakes easily, and panics when something goes sideways – I knew what I was doing during that fight._"

"I never thought you were, Mando," the Commander quickly replied. "My main point is that I take the time for my team, show them that I don't consider them as just crew of a ship. I don't want you to make a mistake and get severely hurt _or _killed in the process; same goes for everyone here, as they matter in this mission.

"I don't doubt your skill – with what you've shown already I can sleep soundly with the fact that you know your way around a battlefield," he said. "But we're a team for a reason; it's so we don't have to take needless risks for completing a mission. Does that make more sense?"

The Quarian had to ponder his reasoning for a moment. "_…I suppose it does, Commander,_" she relented. "_It's…I've taken a few jobs that had a group assembled beforehand and every time having them go sideways with only a couple survivors. After that, I did all my jobs on my own – less risk that way – so the idea of working in a team again is…shocking to say the least. I'll try to reign in my impulses during the next mission, you have my word._"

"That's all I ask, Mando," he accepted. "Now, I have to talk to the Council about our findings on Therum, you may return to your post."

The Mandalorian nodded once and turned to leave the debrief room to head back to engineering. In the elevator, her gloved hand subconsiously balled up in frustration. When she looked down on it, a lance of pain wormed it's way through her chest.

"_This doesn't make sense,_" Zorah muttered, silently thankful for the slowness of the elevator. "_Whenever I tell that lie to anyone, nothing else happens. But why now does it feel wrong?_"

'_UPDATED: Shepard killed the Battlemaster I had stuck with my blade. I was prepared to tear into him for stealing the kill and the honor for fighting a despicable foe during the debrief; however, the result was not out of a desire for glory, but caution for his team…which is respectable. Yet something is bothering me about him, and I do not know what it is. Hopefully the next mission can enlighten me on the situation._'

* * *

**The intent **_**was **_**to write both the Consensus chapter and the Ferros mission in one chapter. After a good deal of consideration, however, I nixed the idea and split them into separate chapters – I'd more than likely be burned out to where the chapter after that would be…lacking, due to my own exhaustion if I **_**did**_** pull it off.**

**To the topic in question, yes, the Heretic Faction **_**is **_**being brought up two years earlier than intended for the story. No, Tali does not meet Legion here, he's still cumulative software in the Consensus. They will eventually meet, just not this story. The overarching consequences of this reveal are going to be fleshed out; for now, everyone that witnessed are processing the information.**

**Next time: The Thorian (or, why Liara shouldn't use sniper rifles).**


	5. An Explanation

**I shouldn't **_**have **_**to write this, but apparently, there's a few people that heavily dislike my decision to include the Heretic Faction and the whole Morning War truth. I'm not going to remove it, because there's a lot of context behind it that will make sense **_**later**_**. For now, though, I'll have to explain this carefully, including myself:**

**-I do not have knowledge of the Mass Effect Books. Hell, I didn't even realize there were any until a reviewer pointed it out after the most recent chapter was posted! I'm writing this based on the game knowledge I know from playing the trilogy – and I'm being extra careful with it by going through the game again to get it as accurate as possible.**

**-Mandalorian!Tali has a chip on her shoulder with anything concerning her race. Her incursion to the Geth Consensus years earlier didn't happen in canon from what I know, and it was sparked for understanding their coming of being, along with the Quarian's fear/hate for the Geth. And, as I've written, what reason do the Geth have to lie about the Morning War? She took the Consensus' side because they acted in self-defense – despite the near-genocide of the Quarians, which will be important later.**

**-The Normandy Crew is processing the information given at that point. Or, most of them will, anyway. So before assuming that they'll immediately jump against the Quarians like Tali already does, allow time for the story to be written. This isn't without a plan, and I have a few ideas on how it'll work.**

**I will edit the previous upload to have a note at the top for this upload specifically. I wouldn't do that normally, but extenuating circumstances need to be considered, and I'm taking no chances now.**


	6. Update

**Quite inexcusable for me to suddenly vanish for one whole month. For those wondering if COVID-19 claimed me, that is a negative. I follow the Shelter-in-Place orders to the letter, so I've had no contact with anyone who's positive for the virus, even went as far as to prepare some rudimentary neutralization procedures for all deliveries I receive.**

**I'm not dying yet.**

**As for the Feros chapter…I like to think that while the coronavirus has not infected me, it certainly killed my motivation when writing that chapter – not really, but it's pretty much hell to try and get past 1.5k words on it. Personally, it might be the fact it's too much action in one go. That, or it's following the canon story too closely for my liking. Either way, it's writer's block hell, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with it.**

**I suppose if by next week I don't have anything to post, I could try something else to mitigate the Feros bullshit. Maybe either a mission report or just skip the entire mission and leave behind mentions of the Thorian, along with the fate of the colony much later. Leaning more towards mission reports for the canon ME missions except when Mandalorian!Tali affects it in some fashion, but I can't decide which would work better.**

**That being the case, a poll is on my profile page if you guys want to help. Any help is appreciated in making the story flow better. In the meantime, I shall grind my head against the chapter because there's a lot of cool shit I planned for the future and Feros is being a dick.**


End file.
